Related

Summary

Gary Larson’sThe Far Sidecombines surreal humor with a subtle dark , making clowns the pure subject subject . AcrossThe Far Side ’s entire running , Larson included goofball again and again - everything from a Godzilla - sized harlequin to a clown therapy session . Screen Rant shared the best ofThe Far Side ’s clown comic strip and asked readers to vote for their number 1 .

write January 7 , 2024 , Screen Rant’s12 Funniest Far Side Comics That Prove It ’s Obsessed with Clownspresented reader with a dozen of Larson ’s undecomposed jest and asked them to piece their favorites . With over 1800 respondents , all Larson ’s landing strip have sexual love from someone , but there was also a cleared success for the gold medal .

While strips depicting thearctic goofball and a clown kidnappingranked high , the clear # 1 was a crossover voter muzzle involvingWizard of Oz ’s Wicked Witch of the West . The gain strip can be found below , following a run - down of incisively how each strip placed in the ranking .

12 Funniest Far Side Comics That show It ’s Obsessed with Clowns - Your Votes

Subject

per centum of suffrage

Position

Clown Painting

3 %

9 ( Joint )

Comic Relief

Clown Therapy

Custom Image by Robert Wood (from Gary Larson)

4 %

8 ( Joint )

Clown - Zilla

Execution

7 %

7

First Date

8 %

6

Cowboy vs Clown

9 %

5 ( stick )

When Clowns Go Bad

Missile Launch

10 %

4

Kidnapped Clown

11 %

3

Arctic Clown

13 %

2

beldame

19 %

1

Larson ’s affection forThe Wizard of Ozis present throughoutThe Far Side , with even the comic ’s terminal strip referencing the movie ’s determination .

The Far Side has always been cognise for its phantasmagorical humor , but these comic strips depicting miniature people are the weird Gary Larson ever drew .

Gary Larson’s Best Clown Comic Is a Wizard of Oz Reference

Far Side Celebrates Wizard of Oz Right Up Until Its Final Comic

Larson ’s ripe clown comic ( at least harmonise to Screen Rant readers ) shows two hag talking , with the reveal that one has had her face partly melted by the H2O - squirting efflorescence of a clown . The gag cite the 1939 movieThe Wizard of Oz(an adaptation of L. Frank Baum ’s novel ) , and Margaret Hamilton ’s Wicked Witch of the West . In the movie , being exposed to water causes the witch to unfreeze . Larson ’s warmness forThe Wizard of Ozis present throughoutThe Far Side , withthe comic ’s last landing strip referencing the movie ’s conclusion , where Dorothy wakes up and realizes that the characters of ' Oz ' were inspired by people from her real animation .

In the musicalWicked- adapted from Gregory Maguire’sThe Wicked Years- it ’s bring out that the Wicked Witch of the West ( aka Elphaba ) really faked her death at Dorothy ’s hands , using a ambuscade threshold to get away .

Many of Larson’sWizard of Ozgags flexible joint on the idea of the Scarecrow and Tin Man receiving organs from the Wizard , with strips where they ’re mug for their Modern psyche and mettle , try toget their iconic gifts from Doctor Frankenstein , and where the Scarecrow gets his nous home only to have it run through by his pet dog . Larson often made pop culture reference , but unremarkably only chose franchises that would stand the test of clip . The Wizard of OzjoinsJaws , The GodfatherandKing Kongon the list of film that Larson aright think fans would instantly recognize 45 years later on .

Some of The Far Side ’s funniest comics reference classic movies including King Kong , The Godfather , and Snow White and the Seven Dwarves .

As weird as Larson’sWizard of Ozstrips are , they do n’t compare to the original movie . From the Scarecrow randomly wield a six-gun in one scene tobehind - the - scenes perils like using asbestos for snow and dangerous aluminium make - up for the Tin Man , The Wizard of Ozwas darkerthan many fans know . Even iconic aspect of the motion picture like the witch melting live are darker than fans would expect to see in a family unit friendly movie today , and Larson ’s witch / clown around comic spigot into how odd this vista ofOzlore in reality is .

Far Side ’s clowns have a uncanny connexion to the strip ’s ubiquitous cows …

Far Side’s Love of Clowns Perfectly Captures Its Tone

Larson’s Statement About Far Side’s Love of Cows Also Applies to Clowns

SinceThe Far Sidealmost exclusively tells single - control board gags , Larson often use subjects that play their own context to the joke . Themes like detent vs cat , popular Fairy Tales andlife in the Old Westcome with a bunch of existing iconography and ' rule ' that Larson can utilise or sophisticate - for case , no ' dog vs cat ' comic ever demand to explicate why the two animals are at odds , since it ’s an live tachygraphy fan are well aware of . With their make - up , custard Proto-Indo European , and trick boutonnières , buffoon come with a cluster of existing imagery for Larson to play with , with theFar Sidecreator often treating them like a separate specie to humanness , living by their own bizarre rules and rituals .

One facet of clown that Larson definitely tap into is the combination of humor and tragedy . The ' lamentable buffoon ' has always been part of clowning , with slapstick making the clown someone who does laughable thing , but also someone it ’s funny to see uncollectible things fall out to . Larson rap into this in the buffoon therapy seance and the surprisingly dark ' clown around in a gun shop ' landing strip ( above ) , while also submit clowns to being bind up by gangsters , gunned down by cowboys , and tramp down by rodeo bull .

These 10 hilarious Far Side comics just rick 40 , as Gary Larson ’s April 1984 comic strip prove they ’re as jape - out - loudly funny as ever !

In this way , Larson ’s use of merry andrew is really connected toThe Far Side ’s recur cows . Not only do cows star in countlessFar Sidestrips , but they ’ve become basically the mascot of Larson ’s comic . Interviewed byThe New York Times , Larson was asked why he ’s attracted to using cows in his comedian , replying,“I’ve always thought the Christian Bible cow was funny , and cow are sort of tragic figure . moo-cow slur the blood between tragedy and humor . “That description is surprisingly similar to how clowning works , showing why the ruddy - nosed jokesters fit so well inFar Side ’s earthly concern .

fan blame the right # 1 with Gary Larson ’s tribute to the Wicked Witch of the West …

Fans Made the Right Choice for Far Side’s Best Clown Comic

It’s Hard to Disagree with the Big Winners of Our Poll

Larson’sWizard of Oz - inspire strip scored a major triumph coming number one , come through the status by a vindicated 110 votes over its near competitor . However , readers also largely agree on second and third place . The joke of a unsafe gangster mistaking a goof ’s make - up for a unfeigned grinning is a classicFar Sidegag , while the idea of an ' arctic buffoon ' sits firmly inLarson ’s puff zone as a joke about nature(and a play on the democratic myth that polar bear hide out their nose with their paws when hunting . ) It ’s also a smart enjoyment of colouration , and one of the rareFar Sidecomics where color is built into the joke .

However , as great as these gags are , fans plunk the ripe # 1 with Larson ’s tribute to the Wicked Witch of the West , who has now been served demeaning defeats by a Kansas farm girl and a travel goof ( at least in the earthly concern ofFar Side . )

germ : Natalie Angier , The New York Times